Building a Collection #23: Brahms Symphony no. 4

With recommended recordings

Building a Collection #23

Symphony no. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

By Johannes Brahms

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“It is like a dark well; the longer we look into it, the more brightly the stars shine back."

-Music critic Eduard Hanslick commenting on Brahms’ Symphony no. 4

You are reading the Building a Collection series, and we have reached #23 on the list of the 250 greatest classical works of all-time.  Brahms’ Symphony no. 4 is one of the greatest symphonies ever written, and we will look at its background as well as some of the best recordings.   

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms (b. 1833 – d. 1897) was a German composer of the Romantic era and is generally regarded to be one of the greatest composers ever.  Even though Brahms was from the Romantic era, he was very much connected to the Classical forms as seen in the works of Haydn, Mozart, and especially Beethoven.  In that sense, Brahms represented a “conservative” approach to musical tradition at a time when form and convention were changing due to Wagner and others.  Brahms wrote symphonies and other orchestral works, chamber music, concertos, keyboard works, vocal, and choral music.

Brahms was from a musical family in Hamburg and showed a great deal of promise even at a young age.  He began as a pianist and would often perform around Hamburg in eating and drinking establishments.  By adulthood, Brahms had become friends with well-known musicians of the time.  He befriended the violinist Joseph Joachim, a relationship that would be personally and artistically important throughout his life.  But perhaps most important was his friendship with the famous composer Robert Schumann.  Schumann, twenty-two years older than Brahms, became his most fervent advocate.  Brahms likewise had tremendous esteem for Schumann.  Brahms practically became a member of Schumann’s family, and after Schumann’s death at the too young age of 46, Brahms continued to be close friends with his widow, the pianist and composer Clara Schumann.  Brahms never married, although he apparently had several romantic relationships throughout his life.  There is speculation about whether Brahms and Clara were more than friends, and there is evidence that Brahms was probably in love with her.   

Many of Brahms’ compositions have become universally known, and many are perennial favorites that are frequently programmed by orchestras around the world.  As part of the “Big 3” of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, he occupies a central place in the history of classical music.  My personal favorites by Brahms include his Symphony no. 1, Symphony no. 4 (see below), Ein Deutsches Requiem, Piano Concerto no. 1, Violin Concerto, Haydn Variations, and his Piano Trio no. 1.

Brahms Symphony no. 4

Brahms was already 43 years of age when he completed his First Symphony in 1876, although he had begun work on it back in 1860.  Brahms was a mature composer by this time, but the symphonic form seemed to present some challenges for him.  Brahms was often cautious and self-deprecating in talking about his symphonies, but the premiere of the First was warmly received.  Even so, Brahms continued making changes to it for quite a while after it was public.  

Thereafter followed several great successes for Brahms, including his Second Symphony, his Violin Concerto, the Academic Festival Overture, and the Tragic Overture.  Brahms was given an honorary degree from the University of Breslau, where he was described as "the leader in the art of serious music in Germany today".  This did not sit well with fellow composer and archnemesis Richard Wagner, who responded by commenting, "I know of some famous composers who in their concert masquerades don the disguise of a street-singer one day, the hallelujah periwig of Handel the next, the dress of a Jewish Czardas-fiddler another time, and then again the guise of a highly respectable symphony dressed up as Number Ten" (this last point referring to Brahms's First Symphony as it was sometimes disparagingly called the tenth symphony of Beethoven).  Brahms and Wagner originally had a cordial relationship, but over the years it soured as Wagner insulted Brahms’ traditionalist approach.  Wagner was more forward-looking, while Brahms was more backward-looking, or so they were portrayed.  For his part, Brahms continued to admire Wagner, even working to have some of Wagner’s works premiered in Vienna.

Brahms struck up a friendship with the well-known conductor Hans von Bulow, who in 1882 had offered Brahms the opportunity to premiere his Piano Concerto no. 2 with his Meiningen Court Orchestra.  Von Bulow would champion Brahms’s works from that point forward, telling his wife, "You know what I think of Brahms: after Bach and Beethoven the greatest, the most sublime of all composers."  1883 saw the premiere of Brahms’ Third Symphony and finally in 1885 his Fourth Symphony.  These last two symphonies earned the admiration of fellow composer Richard Strauss, who commented about the Fourth that it was "a giant work, great in concept and invention". 

Brahms’ Fourth Symphony follows the traditional four movement symphony structure with the following movements:

1. Allegro non troppo

2. Andante moderato

3. Allegro giocoso - Poco meno presto - Tempo I

4. Allegro energico e passionato - Piu Allegro

The Fourth has a mostly serious and tragic tone.  It is a passionate, essentially Romantic work, though as always Brahms retains the Classical structure passed on from Mozart and Beethoven.  Famed English musicologist Sir Donald Tovey stated, “No one experienced in great music could fail to see that the Fourth Symphony’s long quiet opening sentence is the beginning of a great and tragic work”.  Tovey later praised the work as “one of the greatest orchestral works since Beethoven,” and singles out the end of the first movement, which “bears comparison with the greatest climaxes in classical music, not excluding Beethoven.” 

Richard Osborne comments further:

“Few symphonies begin with so obviously brave and determined a sense of tragic journeying; nor does any complete its journey with more unremitting honesty, fiercely in the minor key, stormily confronting its own destiny…Brahms’s E minor Symphony being an abstract work of music, has no plot, no narrative, yet it is absolutely congruent with the ancient tragic style…After Brahms completed it, the following year, he warned (with good reason, as it would turn out) that some might find it unduly stern:  ‘It tastes of the climate hereabouts.  The cherries are hardly sweet here.  You wouldn’t eat them!’”.

It appears Brahms actually took the theme in the final movement from a song in a Bach cantata.  So, while there is much that is original about the symphony, Brahms as usual pays homage to his predecessors.  

Michael Rodman in the All-Music Guide takes us through each movement:

“Each of the movements bears the distinct stamp of the composer’s personality.  The first begins with a theme in E minor based upon the interval of a third, which also provides a structural and motivic foundation for the remainder of the work.  There is a notable sense of unrest from beginning to end, and the tragic, even fatalistic atmosphere is further and stunningly underlined by the final, minor-key cadence.  

The second movement, which opens with a brief, melancholy sort of fanfare, gives way to the quietly accompanied winds in perhaps one of the loveliest of any of the composer’s themes.

The third movement Allegro, a lusty, stomping, duple dance, proved so popular in Brahms’ lifetime that audiences constantly demanded that it be repeated.  

The last movement is perhaps most notable of all, cast as it is in the “archaic” Baroque form of a chaconne - variations over a ground bass.  The chaconne’s subject is in fact a slight modification of that used by Bach in his Cantata no. 150; though deceptively simple, Brahms uses this skeleton as the basis for an increasingly elaborate and thematic harmonic framework…Brahms gradually weaves some 34 variations that steadily build in intensity, as though in defiance to the oppressive, insistent rotation of the ground.  The final variations lead directly into an ending which reconfirms the weight of tragedy and pathos borne by the first movement.”

The work was given its premiere in Meiningen on October 25, 1885, with Brahms himself conducting.  Infamous Vienna music critic Eduard Hanslick wrote, "for the musician, there is not another modern piece so productive as a subject for study. It is like a dark well; the longer we look into it, the more brightly the stars shine back."

Recordings

As I’ve been re-listening to dozens of recordings of this epic symphony, I have noticed that recordings of Brahms’ Fourth seem to fall into two subjective categories.  In the first category are those that emphasize the romantic milieu in which the symphony was created and Brahms’ position in the Romantic period.  As such, we hear conductors luxuriating in the luscious textures of Brahms’ string writing, not rushing in terms of tempos, and often taking a softer-grained approach to rhythms and dynamics.  The other general category includes recordings where the conductor honors Brahms’ tendency to look back at his classical roots.  In this approach we hear sharper articulation and rhythms, more transparent textures, quicker tempos, and more forward thrust.  Of course, this is overly simplistic, but helpful in a general way to think about the hundreds of recordings available.  

Both approaches are legitimate, and I pass no judgment either way.  But my preference is for recordings that have more “fire in the belly”, that can really bring the tragic nature of this music to life in a stark way.  Therefore, I tend to favor the latter approach outlined above, where the conductor doesn’t linger too much, where the drama is clearly outlined, and where all the sections of the orchestra can be heard.  My preference is to hear precision in ensemble and dynamic contrasts.  You will see in my list below that I heavily favor these recordings, but as always, I invite you to make your own decisions.  

I should also admit I have a bias against period instruments being used for Brahms.  By the time Brahms’ Fourth came around, more modern instruments were being used and larger orchestras were becoming the norm.  Playing technique was evolving, often involving the use of more vibrato on the instruments.  I don’t feel that period instruments and smaller orchestras provide the needed “weight” of tone required for Brahms, though I respect that others may feel differently.  So, you may also notice this in my recommendations, with one notable exception (Mackerras).

Those of you that read my entry with Brahms’ Fourth in the top 50 recordings of all-time will notice I have modified some of my recommendations below, but the top recommendation remains the same.           

Top Recording Recommendation

The recording made by Carlos Kleiber and the Vienna Philharmonic in 1980 and recorded by Deutsche Grammophon was an instant classic and it remains so today.  The genius Kleiber left us precious few recordings, and so just about every recording he made became an event.  Along with his recordings of Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh symphonies, his Brahms Fourth is in my top 50 recordings of all-time.   

I have listened to many, many recordings of Brahms’ Fourth, and many of them sound similar to each other, which I attribute to Brahms’ relatively clear indications and markings.  Therefore, standing out in a crowded field takes something extra.  What does Kleiber bring to the score?  Adrenaline.  Clarity.  Precision.  Detail.  Drive.  It doesn’t really need to be said, but the Vienna Philharmonic are absolutely brilliant on this recording, carrying out Kleiber’s wishes down to the smallest detail.  The sound is excellent, avoiding some of the overly bright digital glare present in many of the first digital recordings.  

My first impression of Kleiber’s reading of the first movement Allegro non troppo was that it was fairly ordinary.  I liked it, and of course it is well-played, but I didn’t hear anything terribly special.  However, that all changed in the next three movements as Kleiber increases tension and does not let it up.  It is a strong, individual, and driven vision of the work high on intensity and energy.  One quality of this recording is the incredible playing of the orchestra as they execute with amazing coordination and togetherness.  To me, this is one of the rare recordings where the entire orchestra sounds like one large instrument playing in unison.  

The second movement Andante wears its pathos and beauty on its sleeve, but even here Kleiber doesn’t linger too much.  You may notice in the third movement Allegro giocoso, taken at a good clip, how well Kleiber controls the tempo and dynamics, where it almost feels like he has the orchestra on a string he can push and pull.  It is truly extraordinary.  The clarity of the textures is unusually outstanding and if Kleiber does not bring out every last ounce of lyricism or sentiment, he more than compensates with his rhythmic and dynamic acuity.  The finale also moves along at a faster than usual pace, but it feels almost propelled forward by an inexorable momentum.  There are a few moments of relative peace within the movement, but Kleiber does not give these moments comfort, but rather moves on steadily toward the storm that is coming.  And come it does, with the horn call heralding tremendous terror and calamity in the middle of the movement.  Angry waves rise and fall, tension rises, but Kleiber keeps tight control over things with the orchestra bringing some astonishing articulation as well as packing a powerful punch.  The final attack is resolute and confident, while uniquely emotional.  I am always in awe at the precision of the VPO ensemble in the final movement on this recording.  Brahms’ final symphony comes to a devastating, but satisfying, conclusion in the hands of Kleiber and the VPO.  I am left with the overwhelming feeling that this is exactly how this great work should sound, and it is as near perfect as you are likely to find in a recording.  

Other Recommended Recordings

As was often the case with the German masters, Wilhelm Furtwängler’s way with Brahms’ Fourth was epic in scope and shattering in impact.  His live war time recording with the Berlin Philharmonic from December 1943 on the Pristine label is the most famous (I could not find this recording on streaming services, but I did find a good sounding version of it on YouTube.  I have heard the Pristine version is the best sounding, but probably expensive).  I also greatly enjoy his 1949 live recording with the BPO on the Archipel label.  The live recording with the BPO from Wiesbaden, also 1949, has perhaps the best sound.  His EMI (now Warner) recording from a year earlier is also very good.  In short, any of Furtwängler’s recordings of the Fourth reveal why he is mandatory listening in this symphony.  As usual with Furtwängler, he pushes and pulls the orchestra, varying dynamics in a way that nearly always feels right.  Once upon a time I owned a VHS tape called The Art of Conducting (Teldec) showing Furtwängler conducting the final movement of Brahms’ Fourth.  It gives you a good idea of how Furtwängler conducted, and it is fascinating with his arms flailing.  Allowances need to be made for the dated sound quality, so bear this in mind.  But the performances are like nothing else, the final movement being built into a complete frenzy.

Fritz Reiner, the legendary conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra where they made many outstanding recordings, recorded Brahms Fourth with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London in 1962 for Readers Digest, for a time available on RCA in the 1960s, available for purchase second hand on the Chesky label (although I cannot find it for streaming anywhere).  This is definitely a recording worth exploring if you love the Fourth.  Reiner himself reportedly thought this was his best recording, and it ended up being one of his last before his death.  The RPO plays for their lives, and it is a performance of unusual feeling and depth.  It contains explosive fire to be sure, and yet Reiner emphasizes the lyricism too.  The sound is very good for the time period.  

The 2021 recording by Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Reference Recordings is nothing short of spectacular, and gives Kleiber a run for his money.  This is playing of a very high order, with brilliant recorded sound to match.  The orchestra is robust and plays with precision, the horns and trumpets are caught marvelously, and the entire sound picture has warmth and clarity.  Honeck is able to draw out beautiful string tone as well, and I like the somewhat “bright” sound.  Moreover, Honeck understands the highs and lows in this music, and dynamic contrasts are highlighted but never overstated.  There is lyricism, but never at the expense of forward momentum, and so Honeck keeps things moving nicely.  I have heard Honeck on other occasions do some rather odd interventions in the music, but here those tweaks are kept to a minimum or sound so natural that it feels right.  The performance has a rather forward drive to it, just sample the third movement Allegro giocoso.  This is thrilling stuff, and highly recommended.        

Several attempts have been made at historically informed performances of Brahms’ symphonies, and as mentioned I admit I am not a fan in general of the approach using period instruments, at least not for Brahms.  The one notable exception, albeit still on modern instruments, is the excellent recording by Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.  Very well recorded by the Telarc label in 1999, Mackerras was a notable musical scholar as well as conductor, and he makes a good case for a smaller ensemble performing Brahms.  The use of modern instruments and the full sound from Telarc tends to compensate for any lack of weight from the smaller orchestra.  Mackerras argues that Brahms himself used a smaller orchestra (around 50 musicians) for the  premiere of the Fourth, even though larger forces were available.  In any case, this is a vibrant account, full of brio.  The horns and trumpets in particular blaze wonderfully, and the second movement Andante moderato is simply one of the best on record.  The clarity of textures cannot be matched by any other recording.  While not everyone will respond to Mackerras’ ideas, I thoroughly enjoy this recording. 

Hungarian conductor István Kertész recorded all four Brahms symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic for Decca (no. 2 in 1964, no. 4 in 1972, nos. 1 and 3 in 1973), and the set remains one of the best complete sets of the symphonies.  The Vienna Philharmonic completed the set, recording the Haydn Variations without a conductor, after Kertész tragically drowned off the coast of Israel in April 1973.   This Fourth was recorded just five months before Kertész’s death, and it is a fitting testament to what a great conductor he was.  There is a freshness and vigor to this Fourth which jumps out, and the Vienna Philharmonic sounds even better than for Kleiber if that is possible.  The passion and drive are palpable, but if you are left rather emotionally flat after Kleiber or Mackerras, gives this a try because Kertész is also able to bring out all the emotion and tragedy.  The Vienna horns and woodwinds are just perfect, brazen and cutting.  Tempos are moderate, but never lagging, and the counterpoint in Brahms’ writing is heard to better effect here than in most recordings. The early 1970s sound from the Sofiensaal in Vienna is trademark Decca sound, warm and detailed.  Certainly one of the best Fourths on record

Finally in the top tier of recordings of the Fourth is the 1959 studio recording by Bruno Walter and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, made by Columbia Records (now Sony).  Walter was one of the finest Brahms conductors of the twentieth-century, and had a deep well of experience to draw upon in this recording.  Although he recorded a complete Brahms symphony set only ten years earlier with the New York Philharmonic, it is this Fourth from his so-called “Indian Summer” final years in Hollywood that rises to the top.  Why?  In his general approach to Brahms, Walter is from the romantic school, emphasizing the lyricism and musical line more than precision and rhythmic vitality.  But Walter does it better than anyone else, and still brings the needed drama and precision to key sections.  The sound is astonishingly good, probably the best sound ever afforded Walter.  This is not the most exciting Fourth, but what it has more than any other recording is heart and soul.  The depth of feeling elicited here has never been matched.  Walter hand-picked all the musicians for the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra put together from musicians on the east and west coast of the U.S. explicitly for the purpose of recording.  The orchestra includes some of the very finest musicians of the day, and their performance here is every bit as beautiful as any on record.  I was expecting this to be a slower performance, but it really isn’t, as Walter keeps things flowing.  The Andante second movement, and the finale are as moving as you will find, and the Allegro giocoso is jauntier and more incisive than I expected.  This recording is a joy to which I will return often.

Other recordings to consider        

There are many other fine recordings of the Fourth that you may want to hear, including those by (in no particular order):  Klemperer, Karajan, Wand, Toscanini, Steinberg, Harnoncourt, Rattle, Bernstein, Chailly, Blomstedt, Manze, Markevitch, Levine, Szell, Weingartner, Abbado, and Bohm.  I particularly like Wand, Toscanini, and Levine from that group.  These are recordings which don’t quite rise to greatness in my book but are enjoyable nevertheless and most have been critically acclaimed.  I’m sure many readers will have their favorites from among these, and after all this is a subjective exercise.

I apologize for the delay in getting this entry posted, I chose to listen again to nearly all the major recordings listed above in order to come up with the best.  I hope you enjoy Brahms Fourth as much as I do!

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Notes:        

Brennan, Gerald. Rodman, Michael. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris.  All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide.  All Media Guide. Pg. 189.  Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.

McConnell, David. https://theclassicreview.com/album-reviews/review-brahms-symphony-no-4-pittsburgh-symphony-orchestra-manfred-honeck/. 11/11/21.

Musgrave, Michael (2000). A Brahms Reader. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-06804-7.

Osborne, Richard. Carlos Kleiber Conducts Brahms. Johannes Brahms Symphony no. 4. Deutsche Grammophon linernotes Pp. 2-3. 1998.

Pleasants, Henry (1963). Music Criticisms 1846-99 Eduard Hanslick. Penguin Books. pp. 243–245.

Swafford, Jan (1999). Johannes Brahms: A Biography. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-333-72589-4.

Taruskin, Richard (2010). Music in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-538483-3.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istv%C3%A1n_Kert%C3%A9sz_(conductor)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._4_(Brahms)